Rossi admits rivals' pace "a bit worrying" for Yamaha
Valentino Rossi says the pace of his MotoGP rivals in the dry has left him and his Yamaha team “a bit worried” ahead of the British Grand Prix.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
The Italian rider qualified second for the Silverstone race in full wet conditions on Saturday, a second behind poleman Cal Crutchlow, but has admitted to struggling for race pace in the dry.
In particular, Rossi reported being unable to make the harder tyre compounds last over long runs, highlighting the superior pace of Maverick Vinales, Andrea Iannone and Marc Marquez.
He also pinpointed teammate Jorge Lorenzo's difficulties at a track where he usually excels as a sign Yamaha could be in trouble.
"We have a lot of problems here," Rossi admitted. "We are a bit worried, because the others have caught us a lot in the last races.
"Until FP3, in the dry, I think that it was clear that Vinales, Iannone and Marquez had a very good pace.
"Lorenzo is in trouble like me. He did a good lap on new tyres, but his pace is not fantastic. His situation is the same as mine.
"Here we thought we would be more competitive. And then, in my opinion, Lorenzo is one of the strongest at Silverstone and yet he's also having trouble, so it's a bit worrying.
"It's good for us that the two Ducatis start from the third and fourth rows – especially Iannone, who is very strong.
"But we must make a good start and attack at the maximum at the start, then we will see."
Vinales: If I have a chance to win, I'll take it
Starting alongside Rossi in third place is Vinales, who topped first practice on Friday morning and came within 0.003s of Marquez's best time in third practice on Saturday.
Asked if he felt his strong showing so far this weekend made him the favourite to win, the Suzuki rider replied: "On paper it seems to be the case, but in the race you never know.
"What I know is that I feel strong on this track, the bike is working well all the time, I have confidence in the front and that's very important on this circuit.
"We are ready to fight until the end, and if I have a chance, it's clear I am going to take it."
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